2012 NFL free agency primer: the linebackers

Matt Vensel

Unless you count Mario Williams, a defensive end who can also play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, there won’t be any marquee linebackers available in free agency this offseason. But there are a handful of solid starters -- including a pair of Ravens -- scheduled to be available in a deep class of free agent linebackers.

Jarret Johnson, who has spent nine years with the Ravens, is among the top outside linebackers this year. He has expressed a desire to remain in Baltimore, but there has been speculation that the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts could pursue the 30-year-old. Jameel McClain, who started alongside Johnson the past two seasons, will also garner interest after playing well at inside linebacker while Ray Lewis was sidelined in 2011.

Fellow linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is also a free agent and is expected to be back to Baltimore in 2012.

Still, there could be turnover at linebacker for the Ravens if Johnson and/or McClain sign elsewhere, and with Lewis gearing up for his 17th season. The Ravens are likely to add a linebacker during April’s NFL draft. They might also be players on the market if they are unable to hang on to their own free agent linebackers.

Here is a look at the top free agent linebackers on the market and where they could wind up in 2012.

Inside linebackers

1. Stephen Tulloch: After five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Tulloch signed with the Detroit Lions and made 111 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. The Lions might not be able to fit him in their budget.

2. London Fletcher: Fletcher, who turns 37 in May, had a career-high 166 tackles in 2011. He hasn't missed a game in his NFL career and has had at least 128 tackles in every season since 2002. Age is a concern, but you can probably plug him in for a year or two and get good production. The Redskins reportedly want him back.

3. Curtis Lofton: The Atlanta Falcons linebacker, who made 492 tackles and forced seven fumbles in his first four seasons in the NFL, is reportedly seeking a huge deal. He is said to be a liability in pass coverage, though.

4. Jameel McClain: The Ravens would like to keep McClain, but there is a chance another team -- maybe the Colts, now coached by former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano? -- will make an offer they can’t match.

1. Mario Williams: As I wrote in Tuesday’s defensive line primer, he is a better fit at defensive end. But teams with 3-4 defenses will also toss tons of cash at him, so let's throw him on this list, too. Might the Ravens be one of those teams? I would say it is highly unlikely, but it’s fun to think about the damage Williams and Terrell Suggs could do playing together.

2. Jarret Johnson: Like McClain, Johnson could be a target of the Colts. Rex Ryan and the New York Jets may also try to lure him away from Baltimore. Johnson wants to stay, but he knows his time here could be up. “I love my teammates but I'm not idiot," he recently told our Mike Preston. "I know how this business works.”

3. Manny Lawson: Lawson, who spent his first five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals before the 2011 season. He started 15 games on a stout Bengals defense.

4. Erin Henderson: In his fourth season in the NFL, Henderson -- a former Terp -- became a starter for the first time. In 15 games (11 starts), he made 70 tackles and forced two fumbles for the Minnesota Vikings.

5. Leroy Hill: Hill, who has spent his entire career in Seattle, started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2011. The 29-year-old had 89 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble for the Seahawks.